Security operatives have neutralised two suspected IPOB/ESN fighters and arrested five others in Asaba, the Delta State capital.

The IPOB members were killed following a gun battle with the troops of the Nigerian Army, police officers, and the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) at Fuji Junction in Asaba, on Monday, July 17, 2023.

Confirming the incident via a statement on Tuesday, the spokesperson of the Nigerian Army, Brig.- Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, said the encounter followed distress calls that the area was under attack by the terrorists, to which the combined troops swiftly responded.

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Nwachukwu stated: “The terrorists succumbed to the overwhelming firepower of the troops, after two of their members fell in the firefight that ensued, while the survivors fled to their hideout around Okpanam river.

“The gallant troops in pursuit of the fleeing criminal elements, successfully trailed them to their enclave in a house around Okpanam river, where they were nabbed.”

He added that the troops also recovered one AK 47 Rifle, one Pump Action Semi-Automatic Rifle, 15 Live Cartridges, one AK 47 Rifle Magazine, and a Baofeng Radio Receiver from the assailants.

The army spokesperson, however, urged Nigerians to continue to cooperate with the security agencies by providing actionable information to support their operations to tackle security challenges.

The Star